You've done a lot and are to be commended! I'm glad you got rid of the huge shrubs, and I agree that you should also cut down the one that remains. karinl's correct in pointing out that your foundation is nothing to be ashamed of. BUT let me argue for some evergreens somewhere. Going by your zip code, you're in Tennessee just south of the Kentucky border. Your zone is 6B, so you have a definite winter -- one zone colder than mine. I did see your photos earlier, but for some reason Firefox won't let me access them again at the moment. From what I remember, there wasn't anything that would have any winter interest. I remember a low rose bush -- empty twigs in the winter -- but the rest may all be annuals and perennials which die back to the ground at the end of the growing season. So for four months, there's nothing around the house except empty dirt and a dormant rose. (Apologies if I'm not remembering correctly, or if there was something I'm not familiar with; I'm not a plant expert.) Even if the stone foundation is interesting, it wouldn't hurt to hide some of the utility boxes, not to mention the phone (?) wire that snakes along quite a bit of the siding. Not all shrubs are five feet high, as were the old ones. How about a few low evergreen shrubs and groundcovers? I understand that it's not your own house, and that evergreens may be more than you wish to invest in landscaping at the moment. But think about adding something evergreen this fall or next spring -- or several somethings. Here's the Missouri Botanical Garden's PlantSearch. It can give you some idea of plants in a particular category. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Search.asp You might, for example, use these settings: Sun = whatever's appropriate for each bed Height = 1-3 ft. Maintenance = you'll probably want "Low" or "Medium" Zone = 6 And on the far right, under "Leaves," click "Evergreen" Depending on what you checked, you'll get somewhere between several and several dozen evergreen cultivars. Clicking on the links will give you more info and generally a photo. Then try slightly different settings: maybe two different sun settings, and both "Low" and "Medium" for Maintenance. Or go for shorter plants and/or click "Groundcover" under "Uses" on the right. To avoid future worries about roots and the foundation, plant far enough from the house so that you always have 1-2' clear for house (and plant) maintenance. (Take the mature width of the shrub/annual/perennial, divide it in half, then add at least a foot: the figure you get is the distance from the house that the center of the plant should be located.)

"It's still there, for whatever reason the op started a new one." I posted in "Design Dilemma" again because I was hoping to reach more people. There was not much traffic in the other thread except for Palimpsest's comment. I thought that would be obvious because had there been more activity I would really have no need have have opened a thread here. Thanks to all that took time to comments :)

No stone. Your house is very pretty just the way it is. Stone would not look good on it. Go ahead and try the blue door. Your entry way looks a bit dark, and doesnt stand out, and a bright door, might be just what you need. You also have a paver type driveway, that looks very nice, and stone will just clash with that. What I dont see is any nice color for interest anywhere. No pretty pots with flowers in them, and nothing blooming anywhere, (or maybe it is the time of year the pictures were taken?) The house almost looks like it is unoccupied.

Love the brick and IMO remove the stone and repalce with siding in a nice color like this that will enhance the brick BTW remove those shutteres they do not belong on that house